Updated to reflect new information from Google on a fix.
What you need to know
- Google Photos version 5.67 removes the Magic Eraser feature on Pixel 6 phones.
- Reverting to version 5.66 or earlier fixes the problem.
- This isn't the first time Google has pushed a problematic update, although Google has stated that a fix is coming.
If you're the proud owner of a brand new Google Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro, you might want to hold off on pressing that update button for the Google Photos app. The latest version of the app, version 5.67, seems to have been erroneously pushed out by Google and, according to some users on Reddit, has completely removed the beloved Magic Eraser feature.
If you noticed the feature was missing and were worried that you might have done something wrong, don't worry, it's easily fixable. We've been made aware from a Google spokesperson that this was an early rollout of the software and that an issue in this particular version caused the glitch, but a fixed version is coming very soon. Not all users who received the update were affected, which makes this a bit more interesting than initially thought.
If you were one of the unlucky ones who already got the app update, you can uninstall said update by heading into the Google Photos app properties, selecting the three-dot overflow menu on the top right, and selecting uninstall updates. See how to do that in the image below.
Version 5.66 of Google Photos works exactly as expected and will restore your access to Magic Eraser once reverted. This isn't the first time Google has mistakenly pushed a bad update, as other Pixel phones recently received an Android 12 update that wasn't meant for them.
The next Pixel feature drop should hopefully include some actual positive qualities, like the ability for your Pixel 6 to use face unlock, and looks to be coming in the near future. Here's hoping for a smooth rollout.
